Benjamin O. Davis Jr., son of the first black general officer in the U.S. Army, becomes the first black general officer in the U.S. Air Force. He retires Jan. 31, 1970, as a lieutenant general, and is advanced to general on Dec. 9, 1998, by President Bill Clinton.
Airmen basic rarely go on to become four-star generals, but one who did retired last week after a 42 year career that saw him rise from a lowly slick-sleeve to the head of one of the Air Force’s most important major commands.